Bosworth arrives in Seoul for talks over North

Bosworth

Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. special envoy on North Korean policies, arrived at Incheon International Airport last night, launching a three-day visit to South Korea, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The visit, his first visit to Seoul in four months, comes amid elevated expectations over progress in resuming six-party talks in the wake of increasing shuffle diplomacy by members of the multinational talks on North Korea’s denuclearization.

Bosworth, accompanied by Washington’s chief negotiator to the six-party talks, Sung Kim, is scheduled to meet Seoul’s chief six-party negotiator Wi Sung-lac today.

China last month suggested a step-by-step process for the resumption of the six-party talks - stalled since April 2009 - drawing welcome reception from Seoul and Washington, who remain doubtful over Pyongyang’s will to denuclearize.

The three-way process, if the North accepts it, would start with Seoul-Pyongyang talks, then Pyongyang-Washington talks before the six countries would gather. The other parties are Japan and Russia.

During the trip, Bosworth is also expected to meet Chun Yung-woo, senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and national security and Unification Minister Hyun In-taek in additional efforts to coordinate Seoul-Washington stances on North Korean policies.

Other agendas Bosworth is expected to focus on in meetings with Seoul officials include food aid to the North and the North’s uranium enrichment program. Seoul and Washington want the North’s uranium enrichment program, which could give it a second way of producing nuclear weapons, to be discussed at the U.N. Security Council but Pyongyang claims that it is for producing electricity and said it is ready to discuss it at the six-party talks.

A U.N. report on suspected exchanges of missile technology between North Korea and Iran could be addressed in the Wi-Bosworth meeting. Reuters quoted diplomats at the U.N. Security Council as saying China is blocking the report from being made public.

By Moon Gwang-lip [joe@joongang.co.kr]

한글 관련 기사 [연합]

보즈워스 “한국과 대북 ‘다음단계 조치’ 협의”

2박3일 일정 방한…‘긴밀 협의하고 조율할 것’

스티븐 보즈워스 미국 국무부 대북정책 특별대표가 16일 오후 9시께 인천공항을 통해 2박3일 일정으로 한국을 방문했다.

보즈워스 대표는 도착 직후 기자들과 만나 "한국 정부와 북한과 관련한 다음 단계의 조치에 대해 긴밀히 협의하고 조율하기 위해서 한국에 왔다"고 방문 목적을 밝혔다.

그는 그러나 기자들의 질문에 "내일 말하겠다"며 답변을 피했다.

보즈워스 대표는 17일 오전 서울 외교통상부 청사에서 한국 측 6자회담 수석대표인 위성락 한반도평화교섭본부장과 회동해 6자회담 3단계 재개 방안과 대북 식량지원 문제, 북한 우라늄농축프로그램(UEP)에 대한 유엔 안전보장이사회 대응방안을 논의한 뒤 약식 기자회견을 할 예정이다.

보즈워스 대표는 또 현인택 통일부 장관, 천영우 청와대 외교안보수석과도 면담한 뒤 18일 오후 출국할 예정이다.

이번 방한에는 성 김 6자회담 특사와 시드니 사일러(Sydney A. Seiler) 백악관 국가안보회의(NSC) 한국ㆍ일본 담당 보좌관 등이 동행했다.